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SERVING BETHPAGE, ISLAND TREES, OLD BETH PAGE, PLAINVIEW, SEAFORD AND PLAINEDGE
VOL. 42 NO. 31 September 3 - 9,2004 FORTY CENTS
WE WILL FOREVER MISS
BETHPAGE'S "KING OF HEARTS" RICH F URRE Y It is certainly safe to say that
everyone in the community of
Bethpage knew Richard Furrey.
It is even safer to say that if you
had the honor and privilege of
knowing him that you loved him.
Whether you remember him
behind the counter for so many
years at Beth Drugs or picture
him wearing one of his brightly
colored character ties, helping
the customers at CVS, Rich
Furrey was a friendly face, a
kind heart and a loving, beautiful
person. He was a dedicated and
loving father, a devoted husband,
kind and considerate brother, a
fabulous and fun Uncle and a son
that any parent would dream and
be proud to have. Richie was one
in a million and sadly he was
taken from us all way too soon.
Uncle Richie as we always
referred to him, was an
institution in the community of
Bethpage. For as long as so
many of us can remember Rich
was the man filling our
prescriptions, telling us a
funning joke and smiling at us as
only he could. He was extremely
active in the Bethpage Rotary
Club and in fact was President of
the organization once again. He
dedicated endless hours to the
Marty Lyons Foundation and
truly became Santa to so many
children and so many people he
was able to help. He loved to golf
and loved a good card game
accompanied by a cigar, of
course. But what Richie loved
most was so obvious. He loved
his family more than anything.
Jeri, his wife, Davina and
Michael, his children, were his
world. There truly was no
greater love and it was a love
that they so eagerly returned to
him.
It is almost unbelievable to
think that such a special, unique
and loving person has been taken
from us at the young age of 52.
Richie had a zest for life like no
other. When he was passionate
about something there truly was
no stopping him. And it was that
zest and that passion that fueled
the way that he lived his life and
why he was so deeply loved by
the entire community.
There are many, many things
that Rich Furrey will be
remembered for, but most
importantly he will be
remembered for having a great
big, kind and loving heart. Richie
was a teddy bear. A person who
found the good in everyone and
smiled with a true joy and
happiness in his eyes. Richie
never faked anything. He was the
real deal. Sincere, loyal, witty,
kind and genuine.
To say that the community of
Bethpage is saddened is an
understatement. Bethpage is truly
devastated by the loss of such a
dear and special person. There
are no words to express our
heartache and no words to
console his family. We can only
hope that the entire Furrey
family is comforted in knowing
just how deeply loved and
admired that this man was to the
community he served and was a
part of for so many years. I have
wrestled over and over in my
mind why this wonderful man
would be taken from us so soon.
In trying to make sense of it I
truly believe that Richie would
want us to learn a valuable
lesson from his passing. A lesson
to teach us all to be better, more
kind and loving people and a
lesson to live every day with
passion and joy as he did,
because no one knows just how
long any of us has to be here.
Quite frankly, the world would be
a better place if all of kept that
lesson, Richie's lesson, in our
hearts.
So to my dear friend Uncle
Richie, I say that I will miss you
with all my heart and that I and
all of us, loved you more than
you perhaps ever realized. You
brought a smile to everyone that
had the privilege of knowing you
and I am sure that right now you
are looking down upon the
community you loved and the
family you adored with all your
heart watching over us all. To
the entire Furrey family I send
(Continued on Page 9)